Vertical key draft yoke for railway cars



Dec, m, 1935. H. w. STERTZBACH VERTICAL KEY DRAFT YOKE FOR RAILWAY CARS 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1931 Dec. W, 1935. v H. w. STERTZBACH ,6

VERTICAL KEY DRAFT YOKE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed July 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTICAL KEY DRAFT YOKE FOR RAILWAY CARS bus, Ohio Application July 18, 1931, Serial No. 551,754

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vertical key draft yokes for railway cars.

One of the salient objects of the invention is to provide a specially formed yoke capable of use in locations where side clearances are slight, and which. will have strength at least equal to the old style vertical yoke in which the straps are connected together at their front ends by vertical ties.

Another object is to provide a vertical draft yoke of such construction that a vertical key 'anchored to the straps will take the place of the usual integral strap ties so that said ties may be eliminated and the front end of the yoke be made narrower.

A further object is to provide a one-piece vertical draft yoke of substantially A-shape and including a cross bearing block from which the yoke straps diverge forwardly.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view partly in horizontal section of a railway draft device, and showing my improved yoke.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in vertical section of the yoke and its vertical key, and showing in dot and dash lines, a portion of the butt end of the coupler shank.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view partly in horizontal section, of the yoke.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

While the invention is shown embodied in a yoke for use with tandem type gear, it is not confined to such use.

Referring to the drawings, 6 designates a yoke of the tandem gear type having an upper strap l and a lower strap 8 which are integrally connected at their rear ends by the butt 9 of the yoke.

The medial portions of the straps are tied together by a bearing block Ill which has spring gear bearing surfaces H and I2. The block I0 divides the yoke into forward and rear spring pockets A and B.

Heretofore, the front ends of the straps were connected by vertical ties that are integral with the straps, but this necessitates the making of 5 the front end of the yoke relatively wide, which is not permissible where the side clearances are quite close between theforward end of the yoke and the forward draft lugs I3, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Since my improved yoke is being adapted to 5 old cars, the yoke must be made to suit the clearance conditions. Were it not for lack of clearance, one might use the old type of yoke in which the straps are connected by integral vertical ties. As there is insufficient room for these ties, I omit 10 the same and depend on a vertical removable key I4 for joining the front end of the yoke to the rear end of the coupler shank 15. This vertical key holds the top and bottom straps in proper alignment, and the key is inserted from 5 the top and is secured in position by a cross pin l6 which passes through holes in lugs l1, depending from the yoke strap 8 and in the pin M. This key construction will act substantially the same as the cast ties of the old style yoke. The func- 0 tion of the cast ties of the old yoke is to keep the yoke straps from spreading under bufiing forces, and to cause the straps to act in unison. However, experience has demonstrated, when these ties are made slender, as they are of neces- 25 sity when the clearance is not ample, they are quite readily broken. I believe the omission of the cast ties and the substitution of a more flexible tie in the form of the key I4 will give more satisfactory service than the old construction, 30 and besides, in case of breakage, the key can be readily renewed.

In the tandem gear yoke illustrated, the straps at the top and bottom of the pocket A are in compression under buffing forces. Consequently, if 35 the cast ties are eliminated, the portions of the straps forwardly of the block ID are weakened. Therefore to eliminate this disadvantage, the straps are strengthened by integral external ribs IB which extend from the thickened extremities I9 of the straps to the block W. I arrange the forward ends of the straps so that they diverge toward the front. The straps to either side of the pocket B act only in tension, i. e., under pulling forces. The portions of the straps forwardly 45 of the block l0 also act in tension under pulling forces.

With the old type of vertical key draft yoke, using the cast straps at the sides of the front end, it is customary to simply insert the key from 50 the bottom and to support it by some kind of retainer. This small vertical key is really one of the weak points in the connection, because under heavy pulling forces the key is entirely free to bend in the old type of construction. However,

in my construction, the key is somewhat restrained against extreme bending on account of the head of the key pulling against the top strap and the bottom end of the key pulling against the bolt 16. It will be apparent that. this is an advantage for strengthening'the key itself that; is not provided in the earlier types of yokes of this kind.

It will be noted that the yoke straps in my construction are adapted to receive a coupler butt of greater vertical height than the bearing block l and cushioning means of substantially the same height as said block, and the straps functon to prevent vertical displacement of the coupler butt and the cushioning means relative to the yoke.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of my invention may be readily understood, and it is manifest that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of theinvene tion, as expressed in the claims.

WhatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vertical key draft yoke formed of a single piece of metal and of substantially A-shape, a bearing block forming the cross bar of the A and tieing the straps of the yoke to one another, said straps having their inner surfaces diverging forwardly from said block, a coupler butt of greater height than said bearing block occupying substantially the entire vertical space between the front end portions of said diverging surfaces, said straps adapted to receive cushioning means of j substantially the same height as the bearing block and functioning to prevent vertical displacement of said coupler butt and cushioning means relative to the yoke, an easily removable key, connecting said coupler butt and yoke and forming a tie to prevent the front ends of the straps from moving away from each other, said key having a head at one end, and detachable retaining means extending through the key and yoke at the other end of the key. 7 s V 2. A one piece vertical 'key draft yoke having a butt from which extends forwardly projecting upper and lower straps, a bearing block arranged intermediate the ends of the straps and rigidly uniting the straps, the inner surfaces of the straps diverging forwardly from said bearing block, a coupler butt of greater height than the bearing block occupying substantially the entire vertical space between the front end portions of said straps, said straps being adapted to receive cushioning means of substantially the same height as the bearing block and functioning to prevent vertical displacement of said coupler butt and cushioning means relative to the yoke, a readily removable key connecting said coupler butt and yoke and forming a tie to prevent the front ends of the straps from moving away from each other, and detachable retaining means for holding the key in place.

3. A one piece vertical key draft yoke having a butt from which extends forwardly projecting upper andlower straps, a bearing block arranged intermediate the ends of the straps and rigidly uniting the straps, the inner surfaces of the straps l0 diverging forwardly from said bearing block, a coupler butt of greater height than the bearing block occupying substantially the entire vertical space between the front end portions of said straps, said straps being adapted to receive cushioning means of substantially the same height as the bearing block and functioning to prevent vertical displacement of said coupler butt and cushioning means relative to the yoke, a readily removable key connecting said coupler butt and yoke and forming a tie to prevent the front ends of the straps from moving away from each other, detachable retaining means for holding the key in place, the front ends of the straps being thicker than the remainder of the same, and reinforcing ribs integralwith the straps and extending along the outer surfaces of the same from the block to the front end portions of the straps.

4. A one piece vertical key draft yoke having a butt from which extends forwardly projecting f upper and lower straps, a bearing block positioned intermediate the ends of the straps and integrally uniting the'latter, the inner surfaces of the straps diverging forwardly from said block, the front ends of the straps being thicker than the remainder thereof and the lower strap being provided with depending apertured lugs, reinforcing ribs integral with the outer surfaces of the straps and extending from the block to the front end portions of the straps, the rib of the lower strap 40' merging into said lugs, a coupler butt of greater height than the bearing block occupying substantially the entire vertical space between the front end portions of the straps, said straps being adapted to receive cushioning means of substantially the same height as the bearing block and functioning to prevent vertical displacement'of said coupler butt and cushioning means relative to the yoke, an easily removable key connecting said coupler butt and yoke and forming a tie to 5d prevent the front ends of the straps from moving away from each other, said key having a head engageable with the upper strap, and detachable retaining means extending through the key and through the apertured lugs for preventing acci- 55.

dental detachment of the key.

HARRY W. STERTZBACH. 

